


Playing pretend

by smgmcrznana, Verdin



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Naughtyness starts in chapter 2, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Roleplay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 12:14:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13501480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smgmcrznana/pseuds/smgmcrznana, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verdin/pseuds/Verdin
Summary: Life in captivity is horribly boring, isn't it? No matter if it's a palace or eternal life you're caught inArdyn and Luna notice to their own irritation that they might have some things in common after all, even if they're a bit on the kinky side.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a cage. No matter what they told her, Lunafreya knew it was, and she smiled and bore it with grace and dignity, at least as long as people were watching, as long as Gentiana was watching, and it felt like she always was.

Other girls her age had a _boyfriend_ and a _life_ , while it was public appearances and smiles and waves for her, and _pain_ , her own and that of others, again and again, and occasional words from a prince that answered to her letters with barely more than “ _...”_

At least it was summer. That had to count for something.

 

Ardyn was sitting in the shadow of a tree, tediously reading a book he found opened on a table in library when he looked up at the balcony and saw Lunafreya leaning on the beautiful marble railing, staring into the distance. Her room was perhaps the only place he hadn't blessed with his presence, the room's interior and view of the garden it permitted a secret to him, still respecting the princess' wish to have her room free of _visitors_ as she so vehemently called her captors and guards. Not that he had a reason to inspect it other than boredom. _Always boredom_ . He closed the book and got up. Poor little Luna, lost like a fairy tale princess longing for freedom _through a prince._ He started walking towards the big entrance from the garden of the big castle.

 

_She could just jump_ . The fall would be enough to break her bones, and after some painful little moments, it would all be over. _Jump and see a moment of honest surprise in the chancellor's stupid face. Might well be worth her life..._

A little moan of disappointment as he got up, ruining her grand exit. He had to spoil everything.

 

He could have sworn a little bird had whispered in his ear, cooed for his attention as he contemplated his image in the stained-glass doors. The guards opened them for him so well-rehearsed and routinely that he rarely noticed them anymore. They were just other pieces of furniture in the ridiculous dollhouse of dead and deader things. He entered into the kitchen, the ripe fruit on the display always rotting a little faster under his foul touch, an constant annoyance to the household and staff. At least he was hoping that.

"Oh pray tell, sweet Gentiana, what lousy fun could we have today?" He stared at her as he polished an apple on the fabric of his coat.

 Her head turned towards him, eyes closed, the hint of a smile on her lips. Patient and cool and slightly _wrong_ , as she had always been, a face she wore just to _spite_ him, he knew very well, to tear out what little remained of his mortal heart every time he glimpsed her.

“The Oracle cares not for _fun_.“ Words as dark and sweet as the tea she was fixing.

"Ah, is that why she stays in her room all day, dreaming away, when all she had to is.." Ardyn paused as Gentiana picked up her cup and left the kitchen, demonstratively, rudely.

"Nobody knows how to have fun anymore. Such a shame, really." Dramatic gestures of his arms, the ruffles of his sleeves hanging over the table's edge. He sat in the kitchen for a while, just pondering to himself.

 

Being stuck here was _frustrating_ . There was other staff here, busy, always busy, for the palace was a busy place, but they did their best to pretend he wasn't here as he did his best to get _any_ reaction out of them. Nobody in their right mind would throw the chancellor out, no matter how hard he tried.

He glanced at the book that he had brought with him from the garden. It was a dull book by all means, full of naive love and frenzied lust, but he could see why it would interest a certain _lonely girl_. He could just return it to where he had found it, or he could pay a visit to the person he knew had left the book open in the library, almost too deliberately. It would be as good as any excuse for a trip around the inside of the castle and upstairs, upstairs to where secrets usually were stowed away.

 

Luna, up in her rooms, indeed cared not for _fun_ . She cared for _work_ , for that was what Gentiana told her every day, and if she was honest, she cared about having a discreet little nervous breakdown where no one would see it. The pillow hit the wall hard. Unladylike, and unsatisfying, like everything else.

She couldn't tell Gentiana, her only darn familiar except for her brother, how she felt like, for she would not understand, or she would disapprove. The sudden angry, envious thought if Ravus had a _girlfriend_ as she went to pick up the pillow, somebody to touch, somebody to kiss, somebody to _lie with_ , for he was free to have one, while she was supposed to wait for a prince that would never come, that would never get her _alive_ , because that was how things in Gentiana's stories were supposed to go, pure and innocent until the bitter end.

Stories where nobody ever went to the loo or had horrible cramps or horrible _needs_ , because it were men who were allowed to have those, if at all, and if Luna wouldn't eavesdrop on the doors of the nightly palace when she couldn't sleep, she probably would have believed her, blamed those needs on the darkness inside of her and not on _being human_.

 

The apple in his hand was soft and squishy under its skin when Ardyn placed it back into the basket. He decided to get up and leave, an innocent girl's book in hand. Usually he would just wander the long corridors and the maze of rooms and pretend to be lost, startling staff and animals alike when he just merged through the walls for his own amusement, but this time he took the long straight path he knew she liked to walk, an ever unpleasant smile on his lips. As he climbed the stairs he whistled a little tune to the rhythm of his steps.

 

He was greeted with a _thump_ at the door as he arrived. Something had hid it, and through layers of wood he heard a little cry of frustration. _So effing unsatisfying. It was just not fair!_

_My, how girls lash out when left in their own little room_. Ardyn lifted a fist to the door and knocked out a merry tune upon it.

 He knew it was unlocked and he could just waltz in, but he wanted to see what the girl would do to guests of his stature and random visit. Besides, this was her _room_ and her _book_ , he could follow the rules thereof, at least until he was too bored again. He waited for a response in silence, leaning against the doorframe, leafing through the book once more. He contemplated if he should read out aloud a passage he was certain Luna had underlined with her fingernail.

_Shucks. Calm your breath. Fix your hair. Get the pillow. It wasn't Gentiana, for she didn't knock, and it wasn't Ravus, for this wasn't metal on wood._

“Yes?“ She was standing in the middle of her room, hands demurely folded, and smiled, for _nothing_ had happened.

 

With a ear against the door Ardyn perked up, slightly surprised that this already was already more amusing than the meetings he had during the last days. He opened the door just enough so she could see him standing there, luxuriously lounging against the frame.

"Oh dearest Lunafreya, perhaps I misjudged the time of day and it is not a good time now to discuss books?" A loud, too loud voice announcing a twisted version of his real intentions, his face still close to the door, fingers caressing the wooden pattern, imaging even if he already knew, how she would respond behind it.

"Excuse me?" _Discuss books? Coming here after weeks just like that to discuss books, wearing that roguish grin on his face? It would be something horrible, she just knew it._

"You seem to have quite an affection for them, and books in a particular certain genre have been missing from the library lately.. unless I've mistaken and this is not your book I have in hand?" He stared at the dumb thing again, making a tiny rip in the page that rustled between his two fingers.

The change in her stance was subtle, but it went from _demure maiden_ to _queen_ in an instant. "So you enjoy them too if you wish to _discuss_ them, Chancellor? I never knew this side of you." _No shame. Not for this, and not in front of him_.

"Perhaps if you allowed me inside, many other sides of me may be known to you, Oracle." Still outside the door, still giving it more attention than her. "And books, ah well, where would we be without books, my dear?"

"So, please come in." _Not that a No would stop you anyway._ "If you think the wood can manage without your touch for some time, that is."

 

_Oh, this might indeed be fun. She was less patient if her watchdog wasn't around._ He opened the door fully now, and the distressed creaking of the hinges accompanied his slow steps. For once, Ardyn did not stop up dramatically to look around the room, to look at things that were hidden or slightly out of place. He only cared for Lunafreya standing there defiantly, with that suspicious, arrogant gaze in her eyes.

"Well, this is a side I already know." A little twitch in the corner of her mouth. "You didn't bring something to drink, if we're discussing _literature_?"

"I'm not sure your brother or your fairy godmother would appreciate you drinking, and besides, it seems like there's something else you would rather discuss?" Something in the room _finally_ caught his attention as he lazily twirled around. He walked past her and made for the opened doors to the balcony, the view of the garden now his to try, to pretend to long for salvation at the hand or kiss of a knight in shining armor. It became boring fast. He turned and leaned his back against the railing, looking at her, still a prisoner inside her own room.

 

"What has gotten into you to take their wishes as a given? Have you fallen ill?" Her lips were slightly pursed, and he could very well imagine her ordering _Off with his head!_ in an instant.

_So much anger and might within the young princess, yet so powerless to wield it. What a shame._ He nonchalantly lifted up the book again and pretended to read it, a sinister glance piercing her defenses from the small space between the book's edge and the brim of his hat.

"Gentiana claims that only lonely hearts are drawn to this kind of, how does she put it, _pulp_. Would you agree with her on that too?" It was back to smiles for her again, deciding it was still her best weapon in this little battle.

 "I would never agree with a woman who chooses to navigate this world with eyes closed." He lowered the book to flash her a grin. With deliberate long strides and swinging arms he entered her room once again, walked up to her and pulled out a chair, and with a wave of his hand motioned for her to sit, awkward and unpleasant expressions bravely hidden from her face. He put the open book into her hands and pointed. "Be a dear and read this out loud for me, please? In whatever tone of voice you' see fit." His finger at the start of a sentence, underneath the words _"Kiss me"._

She pursed her lips. Sat down, her legs elegantly crossed. “Kiss me,“ she started. _Oh no. That part._ One look at Izunia and she decided to read it like she read it in her head. He would see how he liked that. “ _Kiss me_ she whispered. The whip had finally broken her spirit, had torn her dress into lacey shreds, blood dying the white fabric crimson. All her new docility got her was the back of his hand across her face, and she winced as much as the ropes allowed her. _Look at you, princess_ , he purred, a vile grin that tore over his face like a new, even deeper scar. _No more pride. It is adorable how your own body betrays you._ His callused fingers buried...“

Luna swallowed hard. “I must insist on something to drink if you want me to continue, Chancellor. Something matching the topic.“

 


	2. Chapter 2

A pleased look in his eyes at how long she lasted before she had stopped. He had squatted down by her side, his forearm on the armrest and watched her read with gloat, focusing on each word that sprung clearly intonated from her lips, on each movement on her face, just to see if they would reveal a bit more than she wanted to show. There was no shakiness in her voice or hands, not that he had wanted that, but he had imagined a clear sign of discomfort at his nearness, at his inescapable gaze. He looked up at her, a boy on his knees, smiling, stretching the awkward silence for as long as he could.

_ Was he seriously expecting to get a rise out of her like this? Did he not know what her work was like, and how broken some of the people were she cared for, how full of decay? His warmth, if she ignored his character for the time being, was more pleasant than anything. Talking about betraying bodies... _

A sweet little smile on her lips. "I certainly wouldn't mind something sparkly. Would you be so kind?"

He drummed his fingers on the armrest, finally deciding to give up the game of remaining still he was playing. "As you wish." He didn't let his gaze off her face as he got up to his full length, towering over her, casting his shadow. She would not spoil his staging.

"Is there anything else the Oracle would like, anything that would aid your reading?"

"You were in a rather fine place just moments ago, Chancellor. For listening." Innocent eyes. "You should hurry before this bores you again."

"I wouldn't want to miss story time, my dearest Lunafreya." A low, theatrical bow, with his hat in his hand. Ardyn opened the door and stuck out his arm, waving his hat to attract a servant, all too joyously. When the servant returned with glasses and drink, Ardyn took the tray out of her hands, a little dance as he walked towards Lunafreya, to set it down on the table next to her.

 

She waited for him to fill her glass, then nodded towards the floor. "Sit, Ardyn. Please."  _ Or kneel. Your decision, really. _

A bottle of port was not what she wanted, but it would do. She drank, emptied half of her glass with a resolute sip. "Shall I continue?"

He fetched an extravagant pillow from the couch before making himself comfortable on the floor, sitting at her feet this time, like her faithful dog. Ardyn nodded, an unnerving puppy expression on his face as if he was a dog wagging its tail.

To her own irritation, she  _ enjoyed _ this.

 

"Now, where were we.... ah." A sip of her port colored her pale lips red before she continued. "His callused fingers dug into the petals of the rose between her legs, only to find them dripping with nectar. A shy sigh escaped her lip.  _ You are -enjoying- this? _ More than a little confusion in his voice. That was not what the pirate was used to. Instead of an answer, she spit in his face, only to feel her own thighs dancing closer to his touch. She wanted him inside of her, him or his fingers or his whip, she had stopped caring somewhere along the way.

A wry smile on his lips as he drove two fingers into her, dancing in the slick cave. A smile growing wider as she bucked against his hand.  _ More _ . She was not sure if she said it aloud, but he opened her up wider, and only now she understood how desperately she wanted to be filled. She watched him as he wiped her saliva from his cheek and licked it from his fingers. Forgotten were the ropes that cut into her tender skin. They were only a further caress now.

_ Ah, princess, you could have told me. Would have made things easier. _ Another slap, then his nails left their marks on the pale skin of her breast, leaving his very personal sign on her. She bit her lip, unwilling to admit it  _ hurt _ , to admit it  _ hurt so good _ , but her muscles down there tensing were undeniable."

 

Why did they even have such things in their library? She had asked, and was answered that it was a  _ classic _ . She felt the redness rising in her cheeks, and his amber gaze didn't do anything to cool her down.

Ardyn smiled, still perfectly comfortable with his position on the floor, his hat on his raised knee and a full glass besides him, no intention to drink it at all. "A classic, my dear, as you surely must understand why, seeing that it seems to me you've read this more than once, and perhaps memorized it a bit too vividly... but it makes you a riveting story teller." He refilled her glass.

"How about you find your favorite passage in the book, read it out aloud and we'll discuss it? I'm sure you're bored of having to analyze it all by yourself." Ardyn lied down on his back, resting on his elbows, still able to look at her blushed face.

"You are sure about this, Chancellor? It might spoil my first and second impression." She giggled. Held the hand to her mouth, fully aware she should stop drinking. Wasn't used to it at all. Emptied her glass again.

 

He actually  _ laughed _ , a low, deep chuckle from the back of his throat that she almost didn't hear. "Oh my dear, soon you will learn there is actually nothing that can be spoiled."

She closed the book. "Pray tell."

Ardyn watched her face turn away from his. He let his gaze fall downwards, focusing on the book placed in her lap, her fingers lingering on the hard cover, her smooth legs still  _ so _ crossed, more irritable than elegantly so. A shrug before he grabbed his hat from his knee and lied back on the floor again, completely sprawled out, slowly placing it on his face to hide his wicked expression.

_ He's begging for a kick in the ribs. Yes he is _ . The picture delighted her. “So, my favorite passage. Let me see...“ She leafed through the pages, already quite clear what she would read to him. Drank. Wondered briefly what it would feel like to kneel above him, skirts nested, and bit her lip. The idea was not as abhorrent as she thought.

 

"How about you read it to me like  _ I'm _ one of the protagonists? I do like to play pretend and I am more exciting than those fictional nobodies, don't you think? I am quite the character."

He twirled a finger in the air looking more like a drunkard than a teacher guiding a student, before he folded his hands to rest on his chest.

“Do you want to be the cruel pirate, the pretty princess or the dashing officer that came to save her?“ She had done such things with her brother when they were younger, only with... slightly different topics.

"Oh, what an excellent question!" The brim of his hat covered his mouth as he spoke up, muffling his voice. He opened his eyes, looking at the dark inside of his hat and talking as if he was directly facing the person he was talking to.

"How about the one that resembles me the most, dear, to make it easier? The  _ dashing _ officer."

 

“Your ship was as proud as your crew when you entered the pirate's vessel. No cannon was fired. You didn't want to hurt her, and you had a vague idea what her father would do with you if you did. It didn't take long until you noticed that you underestimated your enemy. You had more soldiers under your command, and more gold on your uniforms, but you saw them get killed like cattle in the slaughterhouse.“

More port, to fuel her inspiration, and a long look at him. “Like this, Ardyn?“

"Exactly like that, o' sweet narrator! It's like I'm really there, seeing it all happen. That  _ poor officer.. _ " The interest in his voice was exaggerated, his hand gestures dramatic as if he was grasping something from the air, he was still a large bundle on the hard floor, fabric upon fabric laid out like a rug. He adjusted the pillow behind his head, hands returning to lay idle upon his chest once more. "Oh, what is he to do? Be a dear and carry on."

 

"In the end, they got your hands on you, even though you fought like an angry coeurl. Too many, way too many, and the deep wounds you cut didn't have the decency to stay open. Black blood seeped from them like oil, closing their damned flesh, and they brought you to their knees, your arms painfully twisted on your back. They  _ hurt _ you, your own blood red on the planks, and they brought you to their wretched captain. His tattered coat danced around him like the flag on his mast, and even though you were a sightly man, he towered above you, his hair long and wild. No greeting, just his boot hitting your chest, knocking the wind out of you. You hit the wooden deck hard, and stars dance before your eyes."

She slipped out of her shoes, dragged her feet closer to her on the chair, like she used to do when she was a child.

 

Ardyn hummed. He was listening intently, listening for stressed words or hesitant pauses but there was nothing to fault from her creamy, pleasant voice. He removed his hat from his face and raised himself up on one elbow and leaned on his side, looking at Lunafreya as he spoke, hat in hand pointed towards her.

"What a terrifying situation to be in... and the princess, my, how is the princess fairing during all this? Oh, she must be so distraught, how will he rescue her now!"

She leaned forward, filling her glass again. “Tell me, my little officer: What do you do? The captain's boot is heavy between your shoulderblades, and you taste the copper of your own blood on your tongue. You are helpless and weak, only waiting for him to finish you off like your men... or aren't you? Maybe a wise man like you still can find a way out of this mess?“

"Let me think." A sneer across his face.

"My only thoughts are with the princess, the sole reason for my ship's capture and my crew's deaths... if I could save her then it would be worth it, wouldn't it? Perhaps it would humor the captain if I pleaded for  _ her _ life and struck a deal?"

“ _ A deal? _ He bows down to you, his voice close to your ear, his tone so very mocking.  _ What could -you- of all people offer me? _ You feel his fingers in your hair as he drags up your head.“

 

Ardyn hummed again. Eyes glancing up at the ceiling and head tilting this way and that as he pondered an answer for his own amusement.

"I'd offer him the map to  _ the _ treasure, surely that's what all pirates are after? It doesn't have to be true that I know of its whereabouts or indeed have a map, but it would buy me some time, and it is so in line with this kind of story, right my dear? A bountiful treasure chest to make dreams come true... to make a princess seem so worthless in comparison, only good for one thing and then discarded."

“ _ A treasure? Ha! What worth can a treasure have, boy, that makes it worth anything to -me-? And what makes you better than your little bitch? Good for one thing only and then quickly discarded _ . A change of pressure on your back, boot replaced by knee. You feel his other hand run down the torn coat of your uniform, feel hands as cold as ice and steel.“

Luna let herself glide to the floor to sit beside him and took the bottle with her.

 

He put on his hat, a quick glance to read her, to see where her personal space ended.

"Hm. I've given them what they want, and everything else they've already taken. My attempt at being a hero and save the princess seem to have failed... oh dearest Lunafreya, why must villains be so persistent in making a cruel, unimportant point? Is there no good ending for our dashing officer and helpless princess?" He pretended to faint, arm over his forehead.

“ _ Do you wish to see her, boy? Do you wish to see your beloved? _ He rips away the fabric covering your back, and you hear the sneering laughter of his crew. It seems they know more than you do.“

For the first time since he knew her, she seemed at ease in his presence, sitting at his side with crossed legs and her glass in her hand, and she was smiling at his antics.

There was something quite nice to having the Oracle so near and carefree, even if it was the alcohol that controlled her light body and mood now, his eye wandering over to the half empty bottle and his own glass untouched. He began to wonder if she ever had time like this before,  _ unrestrained fun _ , a  _ playdate _ . He almost felt sorry for her, that it was  _ he _ who she could let loose with.  _ But of course who else should it be than charming old me? _

 

She smiled as he nodded. “ _ Bring the lady _ he commands, a firm hand in the nape of your neck now. His crew strips you from everything that covers your shame, leaving you naked and bleeding. More than once their knives cut into your skin. You hear her steps before you see her. Light feet in leather boots that come to a halt right in front of your face. You notice the tips are just as ornate as the ones the captain wears.

_ You _ . Her voice is different from the way her father described it, not sweet and birdlike, but hoarse and somehow... amused?  _ So they sent you to get me? To make me yours, as our parents want it to be? _ ”

While she was talking he filled her glass again.

"Oh, what a shame. I'm the only one who can save her and she doesn't want to see me.." Ardyn tried to look into Luna's eyes, her face turned downwards, preoccupied with the words on the page. Occupied with the pages, or her glass, he was not sure. Little roses were blooming on her cheeks, her lips stained red with wine, and he caught himself staring at them as she continued.

 

“ _ Let him see me _ , she orders, and the captain follows her words. His weight lifts off your chests, and he drags you up by your hair. Your eyes need a little while before they manage to focus on the shape before you, and you feel soft fingers run over your collarbone before they do.“

Ardyn tugged a hand underneath his collar, moving fabric to run a finger along his collarbone, pretending once again to be engrossed in the story.

"The princess in front me.. still commands authority and respect even in capture? How so very exciting for the officer.. " Still in a dramatic flair, Ardyn took off his hat and ruffled his locks. "They do need to stop pulling at his gorgeous hair though."

 

"It's rarely your own choice what your captors do with you, young officer. That's one of the problems with being caught." She stretched out her hand, ran it through the shaggy cut. An intimate gesture usually reserved for her brother, but then, he was the only tangible man in her life.

Ardyn moved his head to meet her touch like an affectionate cat, closing his eyes while letting her fingers get caught and free of his locks. He made a pleased noise, not quite a laugh but a hum that suited the twisted smile that formed on his face after.

"I suppose it serves best then, to do as they say.. is that the moral of the story, to surrender to wickedness?"

"It might, after all, be  _ fun _ , don't you think? Especially when you're doomed anyway." A little streak of melancholy in her voice, hand still buried in the crimson silk.

"And what if there is no way out of the wickedness after one gives in? Seems like the princess is easily swayed to the other side.. not to save herself or the officer, but for, as you said,  _ fun _ ."

“You don't know what they did to her, sweet officer, before she gave in. You wished to skip those pages.“

"Do you side with the princess, dearest Lunafreya? That it's alright to be corrupt when dealt bad,  _ bad _ cards?" Ardyn moved the glasses and bottle, making space for him to rest his head against her thigh, her hand in his hair almost guiding him.

“Do you blame her on daring to be human, Ardyn? Not wishing to continue a useless battle?“ Her nails ran gently over the tiny hairs on the nape of his neck.

"Human.. after all. What a  _ tragedy _ ." A hint of scorn in his voice. Ardyn put his hands together under his cheek, as if he was a good child ready for sleep.

"Every prince and princess tries their best to be that, don't you think? Until they aren't, and their people wonder why they never saw it coming." She bowed down, and he felt the tickle of her hair upon his brow and then, light and warm, her lips.

_ Human after all _ . Ardyn closed his eyes and let out a pleasant laugh. Something in him stirred, deep and hidden and oily and black, taking her touch not as easy as he did.

_ Excitement _ .

_ More? _

 

He could easily let his hand wander to her cheek, to caress her soft skin and pull her down for a probing kiss, but he was very much enjoying being the officer at the princess' mercy.

“You're making fun of me, Ardyn. I know you are, but then, why should I care?“ More tiny kisses down the line of his jaw. The stubble felt so very  _ different _ on her lips. “Shall we continue?“

Ardyn's hands still did not reach for her or tickled her, his enjoyment in teasing and being annoying immense,  _ but his lips... _ his lips were slightly agape, pursing and pouting to meet her skin, to taste sweet innocence that he had long forgotten, to understand what that felt like again. "It's not wise to go against the commanding princess now, is it?"

“How should I know, my dear officer? I'm not here to judge.“ A tiny sigh escaped her, the sensation on her skin so completely new.

He turned his face to the side to place a quick kiss on her thigh, dry and soft, a moment to consider her reaction before carefully biting, the tip of his tongue cold and wet against her skin, the hair falling around his face hiding his grin.

 

She had not cared how much her skirt had ridden up while she sat so casually, how much skin she was showing, and she shrieked a little. Her hand clawed into his hair, pulling it back his head, and from well-honed reactions from years of fighting with her brother, she scrambled to get atop of him to get him to get him under control. “You!“ Her face was flushed, one hand raised for a slap, but she was giggling like a girl.

His arms were spread out in mock defeat, palms against the floor, his smiling face ready for her playful punishment. The rise and fall of her chest seemed to increase the more he looked at her, the more she watched him looking at her. He moved his hips slightly underneath her, shifting her weight and the strength her body possessed along his movements.

 

Luna felt a tingle in a hidden place, there, where her skirts had hiked up as she straddled him. Felt his body under her, warm and surprisingly hard under all the layers.

"The officer felt her fingers glide over his collarbone," she quoted from the heart, and her hand went to do just that. Down the stubble on his throat, under the ruffles of his collar. Warm, even skin, with something she knew so very well dancing underneath, aching for her touch, and she shivered languorously. "Felt them gliding his chest.  _ I always wondered how this would feel, but you, you were too coy to lay a hand on me, even if you lay with so many whores, _ she cooed.  _ Was I not good enough for you? Or too good? _ "

His fingers slid up and down her thighs in straight motions, his lithe fingertips tickling more than the coarse skin of his gloves, his thumbs circling and almost pinching her flesh as he could feel her legs spread further to press as close to him as possible, his back uncomfortably pushed against the hard floor. As Luna bent forward his hands disappeared underneath her skirt, softly massaging her buttocks and guiding her to move, her unmentionables still untouched by his groping hands. "Just like pirates and officers, it's all the same... princesses.. whores.." Words slithered out through clenched teeth, low and venomous.

 

This time, she slapped him in earnest, her hips moving under his guidance just to willingly, pressing herself against his heat. “Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Each of those may be free but the princess, and each of those can take what they want, except for...“ She turned her head, looked for the bottle. Found it. Drank. Took another mouthful, bowed down to him and let the liquid drizzle in his mouth.

Ardyn's smile remained through the slap, turning his face only in reflex to follow her hand, stretching his smile further to feel all the sting had to offer. He swallowed the wine in lazy, deep gulps, a red streak trickling down his cheek. "Are you not  _ free _ now, my dear?" His fingers traveled further up, etching imprints of his nails into her waist.

“I am  _ drunk _ now, and you know that very well, and you know very well,“ another swig, this time just for herself, “that none of us is ever alone. Never free. Always  _ them _ , whispering, asking, promising. Does it stop when you just give in? Tell me, Ardyn, does it?“ Her breath came in hard little gasps, and he saw how wide her eyes were, how very red her lips, even under the stains. Letting go suited her.

"You trade one influence, one path for the other... that is freedom essentially. Princess or not... Oracle or not."

"It's about having the decision for once, isn't it? Holding the reins. I always imagined that it was that. Not being forbidden to utter my wishes, not being forbidden from asking someone to  _ put his hand just a little more to the left for the Astrals' sake Ardyn please... _ " The rhythm of her hips had become faster, uselessly grinding against the body under her, aching to find relief.

 

Ardyn could hear her frustration grow louder, a whiny song off her tongue, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she desperately fought for the sweet spot. It felt like she would tear him apart if he didn't prove himself of use and he could not be more enamored. A finger crept between her thighs, sharp and foreign at first as it snaked between wet flesh and fabric, just carefully lingering in her slickness, certainly not touching her or feeling into her as she wanted.

 

As hard as he was and as much fun as it would be to sit up and hold Luna in his arms, roll her over and have her spread her legs wide beneath him, he did not care to ease or award her efforts just yet, for now wanting only to taunt and draw out her whimpers, to have her strung out where too little would become too much and see how she would falter.

She froze under his touch. Cotton. Under layers of lace and silk she wore  _ cotton _ , plain and innocent and  _ reasonable _ , and he was sure it would be as white as the rest of her garments.

" _ Please _ ?" A little whimper floating from her lips. The books had told her how these things went, but actually feeling another's touch was a very different thing.

Another finger past her panties, cold and just as new a sensation for her as the other. He watched in amusement as her pleading turn into anticipation while they curled beneath her, tapping and poking at her swollen cunt, and still not doing as she needed.

Her wine-stained lips were tightly shut and beads of sweat on her forehead were swept away by strands of loose hair, her hair unruly, even if he had not had a chance to tangle it. She started rocking, his strong fingers trapped between them, and still it was  _ not enough _ . "And who are you addressing, begging to, my dear? The officer, or the pirate?"

 

"Who... would you prefer...?" Well manicured nails dug deep into the skin of his chest, and he felt her reach out, not for him, but for the darkness inside, caressing the inky tendrils that seeped from him eagerly, wrapping around her fingers like loving kittens.

A rough finger slipped inside as he pushed his hips upwards, his other hand on the small of her back, pushing her down to follow the slow, hard rhythm he set for her.

"You'll learn they're very much the same when left alone with a willing princess." His words whispered for fun more than a teaching lesson, for her reflection he knew would be there under her flushed face.

 

For a moment, he found resistance at his fingertip and surprise on her face, but she was a brave girl. Did not make a noise, but welcomed him inside her without hesitation. "What if... I'm addressing one whose title is only legend and nightmare? For of course he can't be here..."

Black oil crept over her milky arms.

 

The finger inside her brought new, unexpected pleasures, eagerly exploring which motion would cause which little noise and what expressions it would paint across her face.

Ardyn could feel the darkness within stretch out, leak and bind his body to hers, the sensation of it taking him over deepening his arousal rather than causing the usual anguish, as it took Luna with him, there, where she had yet to surpass. A thrill almost too electrifying and beyond his control as he watched the Oracle slowly coming unraveled, losing herself, relief still not within reach. His free hand traveled onward and upwards, leaving a black mess on her white dress, feeling her ribs one by one along the way with his thumb, the other fingers shy of her breast. He opened his mouth, black tongue craving, but no answers or demands were spoken until he closed it again into a wicked grin.

 

She was focused on  _ work _ , on  _ control _ , and the tendrils she drew out from him listened, formed spiral patterns over her whiteness, covering more and more of her body with a very different kind of delicate black lace.

Fast, shallow breaths, the intruding finger finding new wetness, her walls widening, ready to welcome more of its kind. Did this do the same to her as it did to him? Had she already learned to love the pain, the delicious, tearing, searing pain the Scourge gave so willingly?

"What if I'm..." A gasp as his thumb dug deep into the muscle between her ribs, following the curve of the bone, "...addressing the healer of the people? If I ask him to lie with me, as it was custom then?"

 

A hand squeezed her breast, groping soft tissue with black nails, making her moan.

"Customs.. are of no use to us, my dear," Solemnly said despite his voice dripping with soft black honey. One more finger into the tight, wet flesh that quivered at their writhing, strong but not able to resist them anymore. His excitement started to hurt more as he, just for the briefest of moments, chose to believe that Luna was giving into him more than the Scourge.

 

"What if I..." she leaned down to whisper in his ear, her breath hot and carrying wine, "...begged you to  _ fuck me _ , fallen King? I beg thee, Ardyn. Wipe me out. Let me die for a heartbeat or two. Deliver me..." She tensed up around his fingers, driven to the edge by her own words.  _ Not quite. Not yet _ .

 

He removed his fingers from between her thighs, black liquid upon his fingertips, earning a displeased sigh from Luna. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and sat up, Luna pressing against him, desperate to be filled again, but to no avail. Ardyn lifted her up like a child and ignored her half-hearted protest.

 

She was like a feather, but then to him, most people were. He understood what she did with him, something he'd never used this way. Black oil, the essence that lived within him, crept over his skin where  _ she _ willed it, leaving burning caresses under his layers, creating marks that none but him would see

"You are so very full, my poor Ardyn..." A whisper that could be amazement or pity or both.

 

He carried her over to the wooden beams that guarded the place where she slept and floated through the curtains that hid it, continued on his knees across white sheets soft like snow to lower her down in the mattress where he intended to give to her what she desired, or at least a taste of it. The only juices that had soaked these pillows until now had been her tears, but he would change that.

Luna's hands trailed across buttons and fabrics, up and down his sides. She was trapped in place by his weight, a perfect picture of an innocent bride were it not for the black tendrils of Scourge that tied their bodies together over the distance. As Ardyn hovered above her he caressed her face to push aside loose hairs. A moment to take in how  _ small  _ she was when beneath him, black oil falling in drops on her and around her onto white silk. It was not from tenderness that he slowed down to a pause but from realization that the healing curse within her did not drain his, but instead commanded it to sprout blissful wounds.

"Oracle of mine.."

 

"The Oracle my dark King deserves." She stretched out her hands to take his face in their frame, to look at him with a gentle curiosity usually reserved for lovers and other exotic creatures, and yet, she did not stop the darkness from tearing through him. She would mark him as hers, at least for a little while.

 

As Ardyn watched her, the little naive glint of romance in her doll eyes, he took her small hands in his, guiding them away from his face and down his chest as he etched closer, towering over her on his knees. The pain from her touch ignited a fire that both soothed and burned him, a pain almost pleasurable, more pleasurable than the heat in his loins from seeing her face so nearly trapped under his thighs, her hands now traveling up the muscles and palming his bulge. Her eager but fumbling attempts at undoing his pants almost tugged at his heart, a distant memory of lovers' innocence, of wanting to shed it beautifully.  _ My dearest Luna, this will not be it, far from it. _

He held her hands and guided them again to free his hard cock, letting her touch and explore new flesh and throbbing veins before he gripped it, leaning his head against the headboard and just so lightly swiped the wet tip across her bottom lip in an easy motion. Black lip gloss for a pretty girl, and he playfully tapped the head against her mouth before letting it remain in the sweet kiss of her lips, not pushing in.

He was watching her still to gauge the reaction on her lovely face lead by his cock, her wide eyes shifting from looking into his and trying to see what he was giving her, how she would take it, letting her decide how much was enough. He could always take that pleasure later.

 

The swollen, pulsing thing of skin and meat was bigger than she had expected and smelled  _ weird _ . Truffle and sweat and that certain bittersweet, slightly burnt stench of molasses she knew so well. It wasn't the first one she saw, but the first one so close to her, so heavy with blood, and the smooth skin felt funny on her lips.

Luna knew very well she was supposed to lick it, to kiss it, to take it into her mouth, and so she did, careful at first, a strange dish she needed to taste before she knew if she'd like it, then taking as much of it in her as she could manage like the people in her books. As she did, she was wondering what they  _ liked _ about it. Maybe it was better if you somehow  _ cared _ for the other, if you were intent on pleasing them, but she realized that Izunia was only the means to an end right now. Her hand between her thighs, rubbing her swollen lips through the fabric of her panties, watching him  _ watching her _ with big blue eyes. Biting down softly, teasing him to stop her.

 

Ardyn caught the hand that was busy with herself behind his back, almost bend it painfully as he held it in arrest. "I'm not sure your  _ betrothed _ will appreciate the teeth, dear." A grin he couldn't see but that made him feel Luna's teeth test his limits again.

He stroked the corner of her mouth with his thumb, the rest of his fingers still around his cock, admiring of how composed Luna's face was for a few steady thrusts, not minding teeth or the tongue that wrestled for its place as he showed her how grueling even a slow, boring pace could be.

Finally he slipped out, watched her swallow the drool that had gathered, close her mouth and regain breath. Ardyn let go of her hand and moved off her to stand at the end of the bed, his cock bouncing on her legs and feet as he did. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her closer, Luna's legs still gathered, the movement disheveling her skirt and barely hiding her soaked panties. As he rested his head against Luna's inner thigh he could feel her squirm as his nose touched her mound, audibly sniffing her just to gross her out, but she just laughed, and even more as his stubble tickled.

Ardyn let her feel the heat of his breath against her panties as he opened his mouth and waited for a moment, salivating, then stuck out his black tongue to wriggle at the wet spot, softly licking, twisting and pulling the fabric with his teeth before he pressed his mouth to cover her fully, making Luna spread her legs to accommodate his head, his hands gripping her rear..

 

She playfully kicked him just to keep up appearances, even though her hands soon dug into his hair, pressing his head down, and she was a mess of giggles and sweet little moans. This was even weirder than she imagined it. It was in the books, of course it was, but then she thought of Pryna still being a  _ dog _ , of the palace cats cleaning themselves and giving her a "I'm knowing very well what I'm doing here, human"-look, and her giggles became worse.

It was a knock on the door that shut her up.

"Ravus..." she whispered, suddenly very sober.

The panties ruined by saliva and her own moisture clung to her as Ardyn softly pulled them into place, letting go of her body. His lips glistened as he lifted his head to look at the state of her, her demeanor slipping into the role of princess and oracle again, a lovely contrast to the dress that still was a mess. He flashed her a smile before he jerked his head in the door's direction, amused by the knock, his hands traveling up her legs again, hooking his fingers on the side of her underwear, this time pulling downwards.

“Just a moment!“ She struggled to get away from him, even if it meant leaving her panties behind. She was on all fours now, hastily trying to sort layers and the sheets at once and managing neither, but still so very hungry for him.  “C'mon, do it, just once, just one or two thrusts,“ she hissed. “Dammit, Ardyn, please!“

Ardyn made no effort to aid Luna in making the bed or cleaning up, his cock still rudely hanging free out of his layers of clothes. He didn't grant her wish either, only letting his hand glide up and down her thigh, still playing with her once so modest panties as he laid stretched out on the edge of the bed, all nonchalance and boredom.

“Aw shucks! Fine. As you like.“ She was on her feet in a hurry, trying to pry the traitorous piece of clothing from his fingers. “Get decent, you horrible man!“

He stared at her, then stared at black ink that stained here and there on the white sheets and hollered in a loud voice. "Come on in, dearest high commander." Only now he tried to be interested in covering himself up, a quick shove to fix his clothing and a shrug, looking around the room for the whereabouts of his hat.

"Izunia? What on this..." The door opened, and Ravus stormed in, white fury and harsh metal. "Care to explain this, Luna?"

Lunafreya sat on the bed again, just having shoved the soaked panties under her pillow, and was the very picture of innocence. "I wasn't feeling well, my dearest brother. The last weeks were a bit too much. The chancellor was so kind to help me in my moment of weakness without regard for his own safety. "  _ Look at him. Look a bit sick, but brave. Don't let him see the hat on the floor or the almost empty bottle of port _ . For a brief moment she wondered if Ravus had it in him to kill Izunia, consequences be damned.

Unfazed by Ravus' questioning Ardyn swaggered by him, grabbing his hat and the wine off the floor, sat down in a chair with spread legs, relaxed, making no attempt to conceal the bulge that still was apparent underneath his layers.

"Poor Luna seems to gotten a sudden fever, and it only felt right to check up on her." He put the bottle on the small table by the chair, shot Ravus a mocking glance.

The uneven eyes focused on the thing between Ardyn's legs. A slight metallic click as his hands closed into fists. "Would you... be so very kind to  _ leave  _ us for a moment, Chancellor?" Voice barely controlled. Luna closed her eyes. He would get  _ shouty  _ again.

"Are you sure my help is not needed anymore... Oracle?" He pointed the bottle in her direction, smiling.

"I am much better now, Chancellor. Thank you so much." A coquettish little smirk. "Would you be so kind and leave the wine? You were so right. It really invigorates the spirits."

Ravus’ gaze danced between them. Something  _ had happened _ here, and he did not like it at all.


End file.
